As For What He Had Said Of
The King Of Spain, He Knew Nothing At All About The Matter, Never Having
Seen Him." At The Last, He Asked The Bishop Where He Had Learnt All Those
Things Which He Had Been Telling Him.
Valverde answered him that all these
things were contained in the book which he held in his hand, which was the
word of God.
Atahualpa asked it from him, opened the book turning over its
leaves, saying that it said nothing to him, and threw it on the ground.
The bishop then turning to the Spaniards, called out, "To arms! to arms!
Christians: The word of God is insulted."
Pizarro being of opinion that he would be easily destroyed if he waited
for the attack of the Peruvians, immediately ordered his soldiers to
advance to the charge, sending word to his brothers and the other officers
who commanded the cavalry to execute the orders which they had already
received. He likewise ordered the artillery and the crossbows to commence
firing upon the Indians, on which the cavalry, as had been concerted,
sallied forth and charged through among the Indians in three separate
bodies; while he moved forwards at the head of the infantry, pushing
directly for the litter in which Atahualpa was carried, the bearers of
which they began to slay, while others pressed on to supply their places.
As Pizarro was convinced that he and his people would be infallibly
destroyed if the battle remained for any length of time undecided, the
loss of one soldier being of infinitely worse consequence to him than the
destruction of hundreds was to the enemy, and that he gained nothing by
the death of thousands of the Peruvians, determined to make every effort
to gain possession of Atahualpa, for which purpose he cut his way up to
the litter in which he was carried; and seizing him by his long hair
dragged him from his seat to the ground.
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